Gas apparatus



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(No'Modll) J. W. OGDEN.

' GAS APPARATUS. No. 589,219. Patented Aug. 31,1897.

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J. W. OGDEN.

GAS APPARATUS.

No.589,219. Patented'Aug.31,1897.

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J. W. OGDEN. GAS APPARATUS Not 589,219. Patented Aug. 31,1897.

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J. W. OGDEN.

V GAS APPARATUS. No. 589,219. Patented Aug. 31,1897.

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JOHN \/V.*OGDEN, OF PLAINFIELD, NEXV JERSEY.

GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,219, dated August31, 1897.

Application filed April 23, 1897. $erial No- 633,436. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN W. OGDEN, residing atPia-infield, New J ersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gas Apparatus, of'which the following is a description,referringto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

The object of my invention is to simplify and improve the typeof'apparatus now in general use.

The invention is particularly applicable to gazogenes for makingwater-gas, 'though it will be seen that it is not so limited in its applicat-ion.

By my invention I do away with the Plumgers, metal valves, or othermechanical means which have been used in water-boxes to close at willthe gas-passage from one end ofthe generator and open the passage fromthe other end.

lVith this end in view I have devised a pressure-controlled water sealor valve,which I will now explain in full and illustrate by two approvedembodiments.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gas-generator,showing the waterbox in section and provided with myimprovement. Fig. 2is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the water-boxand its connections. Fig. 4. is a horizontal section of the water-box onthe plane 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing amodification.

Throughout the drawings like letters of reference indicate like parts.

Myinvention will be understood from a descriptionof the drawings.

The generator itself is indicated at B. It" Will be understood that thegenerator is duly charged with coal, and the coal then raised to thehigh temperature required by means of the air-blast from the main 0 andpipe D. The products of combustion pass up through the pipe E, which isopen at the top, the valve Ebeing then raised for that purpose. In thedrawings the parts are shown in the position during generation. Afterthe coal has reached a suitable temperature for the generation of gasthe air-blast is shut off and the valve E closed, Steam istheni'ntroduced by the connections or twyers F beneath the mass ofincandescent fuel. The steam, coming in conversing the operation.

tact with the hot coals, is decomposed, as will be understood, intohydrogen and oxygen, the oxygen uniting with the carbon of the coal toform ultimately carbon mon oxid. The

time in this manner the steam is shutoff from v the lower twyers orconnections F and supplied in turn through the upper ones F, re-

The pipes E and G are now sealed by the water-box in the manner whichwill be explained later, and the generated gas is delivered from beneaththe coal through the pipe H, breaking in turn the corresponding seal inthe water-box, and

finally escaping through discharge-pipe J to the gas-holder.

By my invention I so control the water in the water-box that one of thepipes G and H is alternately sealed against and the other one unsealedby the gas from the generator. As steam is admitted to the generatorunder a pressure of perhaps twenty-two inches it is clear that the pipewhich is sealed off has to be sealed against a possible pressure oftwenty-two inches, but the gas is finally delive'red through thedischargepipe J at a pressure of about six or eight inches, leavingareSnltant pressure of only about fourteen or sixteen inches to be dealtwith. I make use of pneumatic pressures upon the surfaces of water inreservoir-chambers within the water-box in such a way that I controlboth seals without the use of the plungers, metal valves, or othermechanical devices, merely supplying and relieving the pressures asneeded. r

I will not describe in detail any of the wellknown parts of thegenerator, as they do not directly concern my invention.

Considering first the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, S, and l. InFig. 1 is shown theinterior of the water-box as it is when gas is beingdelivered from the generator through 100 the pipe G. The pipes G and IIenter and run down into the water-box through the top of the raisedupper portion K, from which also the discharge-pipe J leads. This willbe clearly understood from the plan view, Fig. 3, and the section, Fig.4, in which latter figure the top of the portion K is removed, but theposition of the pipe J is indicated in dotted lines. The pipes G and Hextend down into the lower part of the box L sufficiently to give gooddepth of water for sealing. Where the maximum pressure is twenty-twoinches and the pressure in the pipe J and in the communicatin g doublechamber or spaces 7.: within the compartment K is six or eight inchesthis sealing height must exceed somewhat the difference between thesetwo pressures fourteen or sixteen inches. The lower part L of thewater-box is divided centrally by transverse partition N into twoentirely separate chambers or compartments Z Z. Above water-level thesecompartments Z Z are separated from the compartment K by means of thepartitions M M, which extend from the top of the box L nearly to itsbottom, but leave the water in Z in communication with water in 7.; andthat in Z in communication with 7.5. The top of the box L is cut awaywithin partitions M M to leave chambers 70' open into compartment K. Thepipes G and H pass through the top of the compartment K and extend downin respective chambers 7c 70 into the water, as clearly seen in Fig. 1.The central partition N, which divides the lower portion of the box L intwo parts, preferably extends up to the top of the compartment K, but ata part of its width only, as is shown in Fig. 4. at n. This is donetoprevent the water surrounding the pipe G splashing over into the spacesurrounding the pipe 1-1;, or the reverse 5 but at the portion of thepartition N which is removed from the. vicinity of the pipes G and H andis above thetop ofthe main box L the partition will either not extend atall, or preferably will extend upward about an inch for the purpose ofpreventing water which may be splashed up on either side of it frompassing from one chamber 7c 7:, to the other. The chambers Z Z, whichform reservoir-chambers, are provided with overflows O. with a U -sealor other seal sufficient to stand a pressure of twenty-two inches. Theseal is shown in the drawings in the form of a U-tube. The compartmentsor chambers Z Z are filled by the funnels O, which have a sufficientlength and depth to keep sealed at the maximum pressure. Connected withthe respective air-spaces Z Z within the box L are the controlorpressure pipes P P, which lead from the air-main in Figs. 1 and 2. andfrom the gas-pipein Fig. 5. The relief-valves R R open the chambers Z Zto the atmospheric pressure or cut them off. The pressure control-valvesQQ respectively connect the pipe P and the pipe P with the source ofcontrolling-pressure. I11 Figs. 1

and 2this is the air-blast main 0. Secondary or cut-off valves T T arerequired when this controllingpressure is less than the maximumsteam-pressure, as will be presently explained. The valve S admits steamfrom the main f to the connections or twyers Fthat is to say, beneaththe incandescent fuel. This valve is controlled by handle 3, which alsooperates the valves Q R T. The lever 3 works the steam-valve S, whichintroduces steam through the connections F, as already explained, andthis lever similarly is operatively connected with the valves Q, R, andT. In the position shown in Fig. 1 the valves S and R are open. Q and Tare closed. The valves S and R, which are connected to the levers s, areclosed, and Q. and. T are open; but before the steam-valve S was openedthe relief-valve R was closed, and pressure-valve Q was open, so thatthe air-blast pressure was admitted from the main 0 through the valves Qand T and pipe P to the chamber Zand owin to resistin ressure in thesechambers and in discharge-pipe J. When, however, the steam-valve S wasopened, the connected cut-off valve T was closed, pressure-valve Qclosed, and relief-valve R opened, so, that atmospheric pressure isrestored in chamber Z, while chamber Z is completely cut offand forms acushion-space in which exists at first a pressure of fourteen inches.The steamvalve S being open, full pressure of steam is now admittedbeneath the coal, giving a pressure, say, of twenty-two inches tobesealed in the gas-pipe H and a pressure of only eight or ten inches inpipe G, owing to. the. free escape of the gas through the. seal intospace. It, this latter pressure being sufficient to, break. the seal oftwo inches or thereab'out around the bottom of the pipe. Gagainstatmospheric pressure. in reservoir-chamber Z. To understand thisclearly, it will be necessary to. consider the hydrostatic conditionsin. thelett half of the water-box, as viewed in Fig. 1;. In the pipe Gthere is a pressure, say, of ten inches, and immediately surrounding"the pipe is a pressure of about eight inches. The delivery of the volumeof gas from the pipe G notonly breaks the seal butkeeps thewatel? in.the condition roughly shown in theligure. Therebeing atmosphericpressure in the chamber-Z the water must reach a level of about eightinches above the level of the water in the space 70 immediatelysurroundingthe pipe G. c The surplus water,if any, runsofi through theU-tube 0. On the right-hand side of the waterrbpx, however, the airunder pressure of fourteen inches in the space Z, which had raised thelevel of the water surrounding the mouth, of the pipe H to about sixinches higher than in the space. Z" and raised it within the pipe 1 1;to fourteen inches, is new confined and forms, a resisting-cushion tothe rise of the wat r in chamber Z. Therefore as the pressure within thepipe H depresses the water in the Jipethat water,being able to flow intothe chamber Z toa IIO very limited extent by reason of the completeclosure and cushioning in that chamber,backs produced, as shown, andwithout breaking the seal about pipe H.

The horizontal cross-section of the several compartments may be of aboutthe proportions shown, which will produce these results. In thecondition shown in Fig. 1 the amount of water contained in the left-handside Zr; of compartment K is a minimum, while in chamber Z it iscorrespondingly atits highest. The surface area of the water in thereservoirchambers Z Z should be considerable as compared with the areasin chambers 70 within the partitions M M, so that the variations in thelevels of the water within chambers 70 70 will not greatly alfect thelevel in the corresponding chamber Z or Z.

When it is desired to reverse the generation of gas by closing thesteam-valve S and opening the steam-valve S, so as to admit steamthrough connections or twyers F and deliver gas through pipe H, thehandle 8 is thrown to the right of Fig. 1, closing the steam-valve S andrelief-valve R and opening the pressure control-Valves Q and T. Thisalso is the position of the parts during blowing upthat is to say, whilethe coal is being raised to the necessary temperature for generating theWater-gas. Both chambers ZZ are now subjected to the pressure offourteen inches and the pipes G and H are sealed to the maximum depth.

hen, now, the handle 5 is thrown to the right, admitting steam throughthe steamvalve S to twyer connections F, the reliefvalve R is opened,restoring atmospheric pressure in the chamber Z,while the pressurevalveQ and cut-off T are closed, the latter confining the air in chamber Z.The parts will then be in the reverse position as to that shown in Fig.1, gas being delivered through the pipe H, the pipe G being sealed,chamber Z forming a cushion.

In Fig. 5 a modification and simpler form are shown, in which themaximum pressure of gas in the generator is used instead of theair-blast pressure in the chambers Z Z. No cushioning is thereforerequired to resist the maximum pressure in pipes G and H and thepressure-control is simpler. The pressure control-pipes P P connect thegas-pipes G and H with the respective chambers Z Z. The pressure-valvesQ Q, which control these connections P P, are operated through rods,chains, or other mechanical connections by the levers s 8. These samelevers control the steam-valves S S and relief-valves R B. When bothsteam-valves S S are closed, the relief-valves R R are also closed andthe pressure-valves Q Q are open. WVhen now the valve '8 is opened andsteam is admitted at the connections F, the pressure-valve Q is closedand relief-valve R is opened. Gas is delivered through pipe G, as beforedescribed. The space above the water in the chamber Z being atatmospheric pressure the seal around pipe G is readily broken. Thechamber Z is, however, subject to pressure from the connection P. Thismay be twenty-two inches,

and is in any event the same pressure as acts in the pipe H, so that thelevel of the water in the mouth of the pipe H and in the chamber Z mustbe the same,while the level around the pipe II will be sixteen incheshigher, giving sixteen incheswater-pressure added to the six inchesgas-pressure in thespace k to balance the twenty-two inches pressure inpipe H and chamber Z.

It must be understood that other sources of pressure than the airmain Oand the pipes G and H may be used for operating my pressure-con trolledhydraulic or hydrostatic sealing apparatus, but I have described in theforegoing the two most approved means now known to me.

I will omit all description of the valves, manholes, openings, andvarious apparatus for charging the generator, admitting and cutting offthe air-blast, cleaning out, firing, and performing operations wellunderstood by those skilled in this art.

I will also omit the further description of the details of the variousparts and elements of my improvement, because such details are foreignto the essentials of the invention and would obscure, rather than makeclear, the important features.

What I claim, however, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, isas follows:

1. As an improvement in sealing devices for gas apparatus, the chamber Zpartially filled with liquid and closed above the surface of the liquid,means for varying at will the pressure on the surface of the said liquidwithin the chamber Z, a second chamber 7.", in which opens the mouth ofa gas pipe or passage as G, and with which the said liquid communicates,and a second gas pipe or passage, as J, communicating with the saidsecond chamber, whereby the said liquid may seal or unseal the said gaspipe or passage G, according to the pressures therein and to thepressure in the said chamber Z, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination in a water-seal apparatus, an inclosing casingcontaining a body of .liquid divided at its surface into three separatedareas, the spaces above two of the said areas being connectedrespectively with gas receiving and delivering connections, and meansfor varying the pressure at will upon the third said area, and therebyaffectin'g the levels in the other two said areas, substantially assetforth.

3.. In combination in a water box or seal for gas apparatus, therespective pipes or passages G and H extending down into the saidwater-box, and connection J for delivering gas from the said water-box,the partition N dividing the said water-box between the pipes orpassages G and II, other partitions dividing off the surface of theWater in each side of the box into two separate portions or areas 70 70,into which dip the mouths of the respective pipes G and H,'s11cl1portions or areas 70 7c of the water immediately surrounding the pipes Gand H being subjected to the pressure in, and in communication with, thesaid pipe J, and means for controlling at will the pressure to which theremaining portions or areas of the Waterare subjected, substantially asset forth.

4. The improved Water-box divided into two portions by the partition N,the gasfpipes G and H extending into the water in the respectiveportions of the box, the partitions M M extendingdown into the Wa teraround the respective pipes G and H and subdividing the space above theWater in each said portion into two chambers, namely, the spaceimmediately surrounding each pipe, which space is in connection with theoutlet or discharge pipe J, and the space or chamber containing theremainder of the liquid, which latter chamber is closed and providedwith means for varying the pressure upon the surface of the Watertherein, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In combination in water-gasgenerating apparatus and with the meansfor introducing steam above and below the incandescent fuel, therespective gas pipes or passages G and H, the Water seals for the saidpassages G and H, reservoir-chambers for the said Water seals, and meansfor introducing air or gas underpressure upon the liquid in saidreservoir-chambers and thereby altering the depth of the seal at will,substantially as set forth.

6. In combination in water-gas-making apparatus, thepneumatically-controlled Water seal therefor, and pneumatic connectionsfor the said seal cooperatively connected with the steam-valve,substantially as set forth.

7. In combination in water-gas apparatus, with connections and valvesfor introducing the steam from above or below the fuel at will, therespective gas-passages G and H therefor, and thepneumatically-controlled Water seals therefor, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of April,1897.

JOHN WV. OGDEN.

Witnesses GEORGE I-I. SONNEBORN, HAROLD BINNEY.

